Baggage tag



Jan. 11, 1966 M. BENJAMIN GWINN ETAL 3,223,129

BAGGAGE TAG 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 26, 1962 INVEN q M. Ben BY WHITEHEAD, V06

TORS ne A. D 0mm Gwmn L ZLQWE PER ATTORNEYS Jan. 11, 1966 M. BENJAMIN GWINN ETAL 3,223,129

BAGGAGE TAG Filed March 26, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. s Fig 7 8 23o I i INVENTORS Zone A. Dover Jg\ M. Benjamin Gwinn 34 BY WHITEHEAD, VOGL a LOWE Fig. 1! PER ELM/5% ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,228,129 BAGGAGE TAG D/I. Benjamin Gwinn and Zane A. Dover, Denver, (3010.,

assignors to National Paper Baud Company, a corporation of Colorado Filed Mar. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 182,353 12 Claims. (Cl. 40-21) This invention relates to the improvements in identification tags for baggage, and more particularly to baggage tags of the general type which have detachable stubs marked to correspond with the tags and which may serve as claim checks or the like.

A primary object of the invention is to provide in a baggage tag having a conventional detachable stub, a novel and improved detachable overlay sheet which is correlated with the tag and stub to enlarge, compound and enhance the various uses and functions possible with the tag. As such, the invention will be hereinafter referred to as a baggage tag having a detachable overlay sheet, or simply as a compound baggage tag.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved compound baggage tag having a diverse arrangement of detachable stubs and overlays which is especially adapted to facilitate the routing of an article of baggage on a through trip as where it must be transferred at intermediate points to different carriers.

Another obiect of the invention is to provide a novel and improved compound baggage tag for routing an article of baggage on a through trip where transfers are to be made at designated intermediate points which is especially adapted to instruct each carrier as to the next point of destination of the baggage, to permit the carrier .to retain a record stub of its haul and to provide the and improved compound baggage tag having a transferstub claim-check array which is especially adapted for airline use and permits the baggage to be properly routed at the time the owner thereof purchases his ticket or checks in for commencing the trip.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved compound baggage tag having transfer stubs which by designating to each of the several carriers handling the baggage the routing of the baggage, enables the carriers to determine in the event of a loss, where the loss occurred.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a novel and improved compound baggage tag having detachable transfer stubs and a claim check formed as overlay an improved means for permitting information to be simultaneously recorded on the tag, stubs, and overlay, and improved arrangements for carrying the claim check overlay in an ordinary ticket envelope.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a novel and improved baggage tag having a claim-check transfer-stub combination which is a simply-formed, neatappearing, easy-touse, economical and versatile article.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, all of which more fully hereinafter appear, our invention comprises certain novel and improved constructions, com- Patented Jan. 11, 1966 binations and arrangements of parts and elements as hereinafter described, defined in the appended claims and illustrated in perferred embodiment in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1, is an isometric view of the upper side of the improved compound baggage tag in an open position and before it is used' FIG. 2, is an isometric exploded view of the baggage tag with the overlay being separated therefrom and arranged in the view above the body of the tag to better illustrate the several components of the compound baggage tag.

FIG. 3, is an isometric exploded view of the separated components the same as FIG. 2, but showing their reverse sides.

FIG. 4, is an isometric View of a fragmentary portion of a suitcase illustrating the improved baggage tag as being wrapped about the handle thereof and with the overlay removed to serve as a claim check.

FIG. 5, is an elevational view of an open ticket envelope of the type which is normally used to carry the ticket of a traveler and illustrating further the overlay of the baggage tag as being used as a claim check and being afiixed to the envelope.

FIG. 6, is an isometric view of the underside of an overlay similar to a portion of the showing at FIG. 3, but illustrating the underside as having a coating of an adhesive of a type which is adapted to automatically adhere to a like coated adhesive surface.

FIG. 7, is an elevational view similar to FIG. 3, showing a conventional ticket envelope as having a coating of similar adhesive on one portion of the envelope.

FIG. 8, an elevational view showing the overlay of FIG. 6, as being afiixed to the envelope at FIG. 7.

FIG. 9, is an isometric view similar to FIG. 1, but with the end of the overlay sheet illustrated as being turned over to show an adhesive coated undersurface and illustrating further an intermediate sheet of carbon paper affixed thereto, such being one modification of the invention FIG. 10, is an isometric view similar to FIG. 9, but illustrating a further modification of the invention using a special improved type of adhesive.

FIG. 11, is a fragmentary sectional detail as taken from the indicated line 11-11 at FIG. 10, but on a greatly enlarged scale, the view being diagrammatic and not in true proportion to better illustrate the nature of the arrangment of elements forming the adhesive.

With the extensive development of a number of airline companies throughout the United States, covering practically every major city in the country, there has been a great increase in the type of airline travel where the pas senger must transfer, and, often twice, in order to arrive at his destination. Such transfers also involve a corresponding transfer of baggage from one airline to another.

As the traffic of this type increases in volume the complexity of proper baggage transfer increases in greater proporiton and it is becoming apparent that there is a real need for the development of a baggage tag which includes definite instructions to each carrier as to the specific route of each item of baggage. Also, a simple means is desirable for providing a quick check to establish the airline or carrier who is responsible should the baggage become lost or misplaced.

With the foregoing considerations in view, the present invention was conceived and developed, and comprises in essence, a compound baggage tag having a simplified arrangement of detachable transfer stubs and an overlay sheet which may best serve as a claim check. The overlay sheet is positioned to cover both the tag and the transfer stubs in a manner which permits the routing of an article of baggage to be completely designated thereon and this sheet includes a transfer means such as carbon paper which permits the intermediate stages of the trip to be marked on the transfer stubs and the final destination to be marked on the tag itself.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the improved baggage tag is formed as an elongated strip of cardboard or similar comparatively-stiff, paper-like material which includes a primary panel forming the body 16 of the baggage tag and several, preferably two, smaller panels at one end thereof which form an inner transfer stub 17 and an outer transfer stub 17a. A transversely disposed score line 18 divides the inner transfer stub 17 from the body 16 and a score line 18a divides the stubs 17 and 17a from each other. It follows that the stubs may be torn or separated from each other or from the baggage tage at these score lines Whenever such is desirable.

(a) The baggage tag 15 is adapted to be affixed to an item of baggage such as a suitcase by wrapping the body portion 16 about the suitcase handle or the like with the undersurface of the body portion lying against and embracing the handle. A preferred manner of preparing the undersurface of the body portion 16 for this purpose is disclosed in my copending application for a Baggage Check, filed December 12, 1960, Serial No. 75,287. Following that disclosure, in the present construction, the undersurfa-ce of the body portion 16 is divided into three sections, a center section 19 and opposing: end sections 20 having adhesive coated surfaces 21 thereon. The adhesive is of a self-stick latex type; which is characterized by the property of a coated surface not adhering to other types of surfaces but tightly adhering to a like coated surface whenever the two surfaces are brought together with a light pressure. The center section 19 also includes suitable transverse fold lines 21 which permit the tag to be easily wrapped or folded about a baggage handle or the like as hereinafter described.

An overlay 23, formed of a thinner paper material than the baggage tag 15 will ordinarily serve as a passengers claim check, is attached to the upper surface of the baggage tag 15 to cover a portion of the body and the transfer stubs. Accordingly, this claim check overlay 23 is formed as a rectangular sheet having the same width as the baggage tag and a length sufficient to cover the transfer stubs 17 and 17a and a portion of the tag body 16 adjacent to the transfer stub 17 which has substantially the same area as that of a transfer stub. The inner end of this overlay forms an edge strip 24 which is permanently affixed to the body 16 and the edge strip 24 is separated from the claim check 23 proper by a score line 25. It follows that the claim check overlay 23 may be detached from the baggage tag by simply tearing it off along the score line 25.

To use the baggage tag 15 for a routing and transfer operation, the transfer stubs 17 and 17a are printed as at 26 to outline suitable boxes or spaces wherein the designated routing may be marked, as with the routing instructions for the first carrier being recorded on the outer transfer stub 17a and the routing instructions for the second or intermediate carrier being recorded on the intermediate transfer stub 1712. A similar printing 26a on the adjacent portion of the body 16 outlines a suitable space wherein the final destination of the baggage may be recorded. Each transfer stub 17 and 17a also includes an identification number 27 and the portion of the body 16 includes a corresponding identification number 27a.

The overlay claim check 23 normally covers the printed transfer stubs and the printed portion of the body 16. It is also printed to provide marking spaces, 26 and 26a, and an identification number 27a which corresponds and registers with the printing on the stubs and body portions. The under side of the check 23 is coated with a transfer substance, and preferably a carbon wax or carbon 28 of the type commonly used in carbon paper so that any writing on the overlay 23 will be transferred to the stubs 17 and 17a and to the body portion of the tag 16.

The preferred manner in which this tag may be used is immediately manifest. When a passenger checks in for an airline trip to verify his ticket and check his baggage, the baggage tag, in the flat form illustrated at FIG. 1, is marked with a designated routing. The ticket agent will Write upon the claim check overlay to designate the first stage of the trip in the outer marking space 26', the intermediate stage of the trip in the intermediate space 26 and the final destination in the space 26a. These designations will be duplicated in the spaces 26 of the transfer stubs 17a and 17 and 26a of the tag body 16, respectively. The overlay claim check 23 is then removed from the baggage tag and the baggage tag is wrapped around a handle 29 of a suitcase S or is otherwise aflixed to the article of baggage. The overlay claim check is given to the passenger or preferably, and according to common practice, is affixed to the flap of an envelope E which carries the ticket T for the trip. The claim check 23 may be affixed to this envelope flap by a staple 30 or by the use of adhesive surfaces as will be hereinafter described.

The first stage of the trip will be designated on the transfer stub 17a and the carrier for this first stage of the trip will remove and keep the stub 17a when the baggage is turned over to the next carrier for the intermediate stage of the trip. The carrier for the intermediate stage of the trip will remove and keep the stub 17 when the baggage is turned over to the carrier taking the baggage to its destination, which is marked on the body of the baggage tag in the space 26a. Since the complete record of the trip is marked on the claim check overlay, the passenger or claimant for the baggage can quickly verify the identification number 270 on the baggage tag with the corresponding number 27a on the claim check. Also, if the baggage is lost or misplaced, it will be a simple matter for the passenger to ascertain when the baggage should have been delivered, and if necessary, to trace the movement of the baggage to the point where it was lost, checking with the several carriers who will have the transfer stubs.

It is to be noted that the baggage tag 16 has been dscribed as having two transfer stubs, one for the originating carrier and one for an intermediate carrier. However, the baggage tag can be provided with any number of transfer stubs to correspond with a trip where any additional number of transfers must be made. Also, where extra transfer stubs are not needed they may be left blank or removed from the baggage tag when it is attached to the baggage at the start of a trip.

Where the claim check 23 is to be afiixed to the flap of a ticket envelope, an improved manner of so aifixing the claim check may be desirable. Accordingly, the claim check 23a is modified by eliminating the coating of carbon transfer 28, and coating the underside with a latex type of adhesive 31 of the self-stick type heretofore described, as in the manner clearly illustrated at FIG. 7. When the claim check 23a is so prepared, the envelope E may also be modified by including on its flap a corresponding strip 32 of like latex adhesive, as in the manner clearly illustrated at FIG. 7. The claim check overlay 23a is then aflixed to the flap of the envelope as in the manner clearly illustrated at FIG. 8.

Where the claim check overlay 23 includes a latex type adhesive coating 31 at its undersurface instead of a carbon transfer coating 28, the assembly of the baggage tag must be modified to include a transfer means. One simple means of so modifying it is by the interleafing of a thin sheet of carbon paper 33 between the baggage tag and the overlay 23a as in the manner clearly illustrated at FIG. 9. The results so obtained are identical with those heretofore described and the slight increase in the cost to include the carbon paper is more than offset by the speed and convenience of affixing the adhesive coated claim check to the adhesive strip 32 of the ticket envelope,

As a further modification, a claim check overlay 23a may be coated with a modified adhesive 31a which serves both as an adhesive adapted to permit the claim check to be mounted on the envelope flap strip 32 and as a transfer substance which permits the writing on the claim check to be transferred and marked onto the transfer stubs and body of the baggage tag. The adhesive-transfer surface 310, illustrated generally at FIG. 10, may be prepared in several ways, and one way is to spread a thin layer of a substance which will easily mark and which also is compatible with and will adhere to the latex adhesive above described. If the spreading was sufficiently thin, the coating would not inhibit or prevent adhesive action between the two surfaces 31a and 32 when the claim check was afiixed to the envelope E as in the manner illustrated at FIG. 8.

As an example, an adhesive surface was formed by using a thin layer of natural rubber latex of the type ordinarily used to form self-stick surfaces of the type heretofore described. The latex was liquified by a solvent and applied to the paper surface in a conventional manner. After the solvent evaporated to leave only the layer of natural rubber latex a nondrying type of glycerine carrying an analine dye was spread over the latex rubber surface. It is to be noted that this layer was extremely thin and evidently the good transfer of writing from the claim check and to the baggage tag was due to the intense opacity and coloring power of the analine dye.

As another example, a thin layer of ordinary commercial ink gelatine, of the type commonly used in ball point pencils, was spread over the latex surface. This ink gelatine tended to dry and would not effectively transfer on all types of surfaces, after a period of time. However, it would transfer on hard calendered paper surfaces and to surfaces treated with gum arabic. It is manifest that several materials can be found which will produce a transfer effect to the latex undersurface 31a to permit the baggage tag to be used in the manner above described, and that the invention, in this respect, should not be limited to a particular material but to the class of materials capable of functioning as above described.

We have now described our invention in considerable detail and it is obvious that others skilled in the art can build and devise alternate and equivalent constructions which are within the scope and spirit of our invention; hence we desire that our protection be limited, not by the constructions illustrated and described, but only by the proper scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A baggage tag for identifying and routing an article of baggage from a point of origin to a point of destination where transfer is to be made from one carrier to another en route, and comprising:

(a) a body portion formed as a strip of moderately rigid paper-like material adapted to be afiixed to an article of baggage;

(b) a detachable transfer stub forming an extension of one end of the body;

(c) a detachable claim check of paper-like material affixed to the baggage tag as an overlay over the transfer stub and a portion of the body adjacent thereto;

(d) correlated markings on the body, transfer stub and claim check adapted to identify and associate the transfer stub and claim check with the body and with each other after they are detached and (e) a transfer means associated with the claim check, disposed between the claim check and baggage tag and being adapted to transfer markings made on the claim check to the baggage tag.

2. The baggage tag defined in claim 1, wherein the body portion is formed with an inner face having cohesive-adhesive surfaces at each end adapted to adhere together when the body is wrapped about the handle of a bag or the like.

3. In the baggage tag defined in claim 1, a second detachable transfer stub forming an extension of the first transfer stub and said claim check being adapted to overlie both transfer stubs.

4. In the baggage tag defined in claim 1, said transfer means being a carbon backing at the underside of the claim check.

5. In the baggage tag defined in claim 1, said transfer means being a sheet of carbon paper interposed between the claim check and the baggage tag.

6. In the baggage tag defined in claim 1, wherein, the edge at one end of the claim check is afiixed to the body with a detaching score line adjacent to this edge.

7. In the baggage tag defined in claim 1, wherein the transfer means comprises a sheet of carbon paper interposed between the claim check and the baggage tag and wherein the under surface of the claim check includes a coating of adhesive adapted to permit the claim check to be affixed to other objects.

8. In the organization set forth in claim 1, wherein the transfer means comprises the coating of latex-like cohesive-adhesive having an outer layer of a transferable color substance with the coating being characterized by the property of transferring marks to other surfaces and of adhering to like coated adhesive-cohesive surfaces.

9. In the organization defined in claim 8, wherein the dye substance is an oil-base analine.

10. A baggage tag for identifying and routing an article of baggage from a point of origin to a point of destination where transfer is to be made from one carrier to another en route, and comprising:

(a) a body formed as a strip of moderately rigid paperlike material with one portion constituting a primary panel adapted to be afiixed to an article of baggage and with a detachable portion at one end thereof forming a transfer stub;

(b) a detachable claim check of paper-like material afiixed to the body as an overlay over the transfer stub and a portion of the primary panel adjacent to the stub;

(c) correlated markings on the primary panel, transfer stub and claim check adapted to identify and associate the transfer stub and claim check with the primary panel of the body with each other; and,

((1) transfer means associated with the claim check, disposed between the claim check and body adapted to transfer markings on the claim check to the body.

11. A transfer-adhesive coating for a transfer sheet formed as a base of latex-like adhesive and a thin coating of an oil-base dye characterized by the property of transferring markings to a sheet of paper under pressure and by the property of adhering to a latex-coated-adhesive surface, and wherein said dye consists of an analine base material carried in a non-drying type of glycerin.

12. A transfer-adhesive coating for a transfer sheet formed as a base of latex-like adhesive and a thin coating of an oil-base dye characterized by the property of transferring markings to a sheet of paper under pressure and by the property of adhering to a latex-coated-adhesive surface, and wherein said oil-base dye consists of an ink gelatin.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 837,762 12/1906 Wilkinson 28320 1 2,098,164 11/1937 Rice 40-21 2,670,971 3/1954 Johnson 28219 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

EDWARD V. BENHAM, Examiner.

W. I. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A BAGGAGE TAG FOR IDENTIFYING AND ROUTING AN ARTICLE OF BAGGAGE FROM A POINT OF ORIGIN TO A POINT OF DESTINATION WHERE TRANSFER IS TO BE MADE FROM ONE CARRIER TO ANOTHER EN ROUTE, AND COMPRISING: (A) A BODY PORTION FORMED AS A STRIP OF MODERATELY RIGID PAPER-LIKE MATERIAL ADAPTED TO BE AFFIXED TO AN ARTICLE OF BAGGAGE; (B) A DETACHABLE TRANSFER STUB FORMING AN EXTENSION OF ONE END OF THE BODY; (C) A DETACHABLE CLAIM CHECK OF PAPER-LIKE MATERIAL AFFIXED TO THE BAGGAGE TAG AS AN OVERLAY OVER THE TRANSFER STUB AND A PORTION OF THE BODY ADJACENT THERETO; (D) CORRELATED MARKING ON THE BODY, TRANSFER STUB AND CLAIM CHECK ADAPTED TO IDENTIFY AND ASSOCIATE THE TRANSFER STUB AND CLAIM CHECK WITH THE BODY AND WITH EACH OTHER AFTER THEY ARE DETACHED AND (E) A TRANSFER MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CLAIM CHECK, DISPOSED BETWEEN THE CLAIM CHECK AND BAGGAGE TAG AND BEING ADAPTED TO TRANSFER MARKING MADE ON THE CLAIM CHECK TO THE BAGGAGE TAG. 